At a time when the cabinet of an Indian Prime Minister is becoming bigger and bigger, that the country’s first Union Cabinet could be adjusted in a standard-size photo panel is certainly an unusual sight. The first panel — displayed at an ongoing exhibition of the first Union Cabinet mounted at the Teen Murti Bhavan in New Delhi as part of the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Jawaharlal Nehru, is of India’s first Cabinet Ministers. All 12 of them.
Read on the names and it is not unusual for the mind to register the interesting fact that the Cabinet not only included a woman (Rajkumari Amrit Kaur) but also people belonging to all major communities that constitute India. Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Parsi, Sindhi, Dalit — all found a representative in Pandit Nehru’s first cabinet. North, South, East, West, all were given a voice.
A fascinating fact is also that it included as many as five people who were not Congressmen but representatives of other political parties. There was B.R. Ambedkar who established the Republican Party; Syama Prasad Mookerjee who founded the Jan Sangh; Shanmukham Chetty from the Justice Party; C Rajagopalachari from the Swatantra Party; and Rafi A Kidwai from the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party. Then there was also a businessman in it — C.H. Bhabha who was made the Union Commerce Minister.
It certainly comes across to a visitor the idea Nehru had of a new India. Still recovering from the wounds of Partition, the Cabinet represented his inclusive design of an independent India which would have the space for people from different political thoughts and regions to come together to take the country forward.
One unfortunate omission which you can’t avoid noticing is, however, the complete absence of the presence of the North East in it. While all parts of the country featured in his Cabinet, there was none from the region. It is an indicator of how the region featured in the then mainstream political perception the result of which is for all to see even today.
Well, there was no tribal presence either.
Quite a few panels also feature letters — from Nehru, to Nehru, with an endearing ‘Dear Jawaharlal’. Also from other ministers to their colleagues. At a time when Nehru is being pitted against Sardar Ballabhbhai Patel, there is this letter from Panditji instructing his colleagues not to burden an ailing Deputy Prime Minister with extra work. Yet another letter, from Patel, shows the iron man’s active work life till his last days. One panel is devoted to newspaper reports of Patel’s demise. It includes a rare Assamese paper too.
Walk across the exhibition and more interesting nuggets are in store. In terms of concern on policy formulations that would have an effect on education, defence, food security, Dalit rights, etc. There is an interesting communication between two Cabinet colleagues on how to make dry leaves available to poor farmers to help them make organic fertiliser and help push up food supply. In a letter, CD Deshmukh (Finance Minister from 1950-56) minces no words in expressing his disapproval of a steel plant Nehru is planning, saying, he would have to “see” if it is possible at all.
Mahesh Rangarajan, director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, says, “The letters are being displayed in this format for the first time.” Till December 13, the exhibition will be on at the library foyer. He says, “We will then move it to the Museum where it will remain on display.” A series of exhibitions, he adds, has been planned to mark the celebrations, “including one on the big dams, the Asian Relations conference, the new State capital cities and many more.”
(The exhibition at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library is open to all between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on all weekdays.)
